Facts About SkyClan Cats
by UnderdogFan1254
Summary: As if I needed more fics talking about my Skyclan aus headcanons. Inspired by KatieK101's Five Truths. One-shot series, heavily tied into Hello Sunshine Hello Sky. Requests are open
1. Weaselwhisker

**one.**

She is born alongside Hazelkit. She does not know his mother's name, no one does. She is named by that pretty pinkish-cream cat.

She's just learning words when she watches that cat set down a cream-spotted bundle no old than herself next to his mother.

"His name is Maggotkit," she says, "He's from RiverClan."

"I was wrong to let you name my kits," his mother says.

**two.**

Weaselkit takes her first bite of lapwing alongside Hazelkit and Maggotkit. Her mother leaves in the night. She's heartbroken.

"Good riddance," says the pinkish-cream cat.

**three.**

They become apprentices and whenever Maggotpaw comes home with a blackbird in his jaws, Weaselpaw is absolutely smitten.

**four.**

Weaselpaw goes to Petalfall one day and asks if a cat can become a tom if they want.

When she says yes he triumphantly runs circles around camp yowling, "I am Weaselpaw and I am a tom!"

He catches his flecks of ice on Maggotpaw's rays of sunlight and feels his heart sink.

**five.**

Maggotpaw takes him out into the woods and Weaselpaw fears the worst.

"You're sure you're a tom?" he asks.

Weaselpaw nods.

Maggotpaw steps closer and licks behind his ear. "That makes things easier."

Weaselpaw finds a pink primrose and weaves it into his fur right on the spot where Maggotpaw had licked him.

**six.**

Weaselpaw becomes Weaselwhisker. Within the next six moons he's expecting kittens of his own.

He lays in his favorite patch of shade under the oak tree between the nursery and warrior den and turns a way where he can face his stomach. He speaks softly about his clanmates, pretending his kits can understand.

Maggottail isn't as affectionate with their kits. Weaselwhisker doesn't mind.

**seven.**

Weaselwhisker is taking a walk, and when he comes back, he finds no sign of Maggottail and finds Flystar in Fawnpaw and Twigtail's den. He doesn't put two and two together until he's grabbed a lapwing and walks past the ferns of the apprentice den.

"I killed him!" exclaimed Fernpaw, to Buzzardpaw, Cloudstorm and Birdflight. "Flystar told me to chase him out and I killed him!"

"He'll never hurt dad again," Buzzardpaw adds somberly.

"You killed _Maggottail?" _Birdflight asks, "Single-pawed?"

Fernpaw nods and Weaselwhisker stops.

He drops his lapwing and can feel his heart and lungs leave his body. He can't breathe and there's darkness at the edge of his vision. As he collapses he wonders if this is what Petalfall feels.

He wakes up in the medicine den with Fawnpaw rubbing his belly.

"Thank StarClan," she says, "We thought we lost you."

"Whatever that was, don't do it again," Twigtail adds.

Weaselwhisker can't speak to ask him if what Fernpaw said was true. When he realized his primrose had fallen off, he knew it was.

**eight.**

His daughter looks just like him. He refuses to name a father, but Hazelwing knows. Hazelwing stares at her niece and nephew knowing their have a murderer's blood in them.

Weaselwhisker flexes his claws and says, "They are not their father. Their names are Stoatkit and Mousekit, and they are _mine."_

But the night Mousefang goes to war with ThunderClan and Stoatfur tells him how she triumphantly went at Redstar's throat herself, he's not entirely sure.

**nine.**

He never gets to tell his kits who sired them.

He lays in Duskstar's Clearing with Nettleclaw's fangs inside his neck, Nightfur and Acornpaw trying to drag him off.

He stops feeling blood pour out of his throat as Stoatfur grabs him and drags him away. He feels his body cooling and feels his chest tighten and knows if he stays there much longer, he'll be stuck.

So his spirit floats up and out. He can't stop the tug bringing him upward no matter how much he wants to stay and watch over his kits.

He breaks through on the edge of a river. Across it in a blood-red forest he sees the beams of sunlight he once fell in love with.


	2. Oakstep

**one.**

His name is Bandit. He lives in a blue house with a garden and an azalea bush. He's a tiny Siamese show-cat who wears a bandana the same collar as his home.

One day he leaps over his fence to explore the vast unknown in the forest. He sees blue eyes in a bush and decides that his home was just fine.

**two.**

Bandit is on the edge of his fence, looking longingly into the woods. Three cats emerge, black, cinnamon, and the most beautiful gray-point he'd ever seen.

The black and cinnamon bare their teeth and snarl at Bandit.

The point smacks the black over the ears and says a kittypet swear. She realizes a moment later and apologizes to the cinnamon.

Bandit was swept off his feet.

**three.**

Bandit learns the times of patrols and every day, jumps up on his fence and hopes to see that gray point. If she's not there, he goes inside. If she is, he watches her until she goes back into the forest.

One day he goes into the forest and tries to catch a bird and ask her to be his mate.

He's tackled by the black. He's sent away unharmed by the point.

**four.**

Bandit hears yowling all around him from his kittypet friends. He's terrified.

The point jumps up on his fence and leaps down, starting to run at him. She raises an unsheathed paw but she doesn't strike. Her eyes don't soften but they lose the bloodlust.

"You're that cat who's always so damn moony-eyed over me," she says. She smacks Bandit with a paw, claws gone. "You aren't worth a couple of mousetails."

She leaps to his neighboring fence and yowls.

Bandit knows he shouldn't be in love with her, not after she attacks his friends.

But his father always told him if a she-cat can't kill him, she's not worth his love.

**five.**

Many moons later, Bandit had a number of pink ribbons, nothing more.

He overhears his housefolk speaking about a purebred Burmese down the street about to have kittens, and that he was thinking about donating Bandit. Bandit decided to do him a favor and leave himself.

He goes out into the woods and catches a bird, following the scent of cats into a bramble tunnel. The cats find him first.

He says he'd like to join their group and he's told to fight a big, buff cream-spotted tabby.

She tries to choke him by his collar. Bandit freaks out at the thought of losing it and bites down into her leg, flipping the both of them over.

She accepts her defeat.

He's named Oakpaw.

His mentor is the black tom on the patrol with the point.

"I would've given you Rainleap," chuckles the leader, "But she already has an apprentice."

He thinks Rainleap is a beautiful name.

**six.**

Oakpaw never can confess his love to Rainleap.

He sees her joking with Nightfur and he just _knows, _that Rainleap would never be his.

Snailpaw notices him.

And he notices Snailpaw.

**seven.**

Oakpaw is Oakstep. Snailpaw is Snailslip. SkyClan lives in a gorge now and Snailslip has just had Oakstep's kits.

Snailslip names them Swallowkit, because he believes SkyClan will be swallowed whole. He names the other Fallenkit, because of how far SkyClan has fallen from grace.

He speaks to Buzzardstar and asks if he can name them after their grandfathers.

They are named Fallensnow after Hawksnow and Swallowflight after Starlingfeather.

**eight.**

Oakstep is chosen to fight the rats in their own barn. He sees Rainleap tackled by them and in a fit of rage, shoots after them. They climb up his leg and Oakstep can feel his nerves breaking.

He hits his leg against the barn door and kills them. He heads back to help Rainleap up, but her eyes resemble her name.

Oakstep lost his leg and she'd never walk again.

Oakstep watches his kits become apprentices and warriors from the elder's den.

Starlingfeather dies before he can introduce himself.

**nine.**

Snailslip dies from his own sadness one night, and Oakstep never wished the rats had taken his life rather than his leg more.

**ten.**

Oakstep comes out of his den moons later to greet Fallensnow and Sunpelt on the battle patrol back. They aren't there.

He's told his child and his child's mate are dead and he feels his heart stop.

"What?" he asks, "Sunpelt and Fallensnow are _dead?_ Then where are their bodies? We must sit vigil for them and bury them!"

"Oakstep, we had to leave them behind!" Swallowflight snaps, his voice choked with sobs, "We were too busy fleeing to save our own pelts to carry our fallen Clanmates."

"But if you had brought them back we could have buried them! Where is the honor in leaving them to be picked over by the rats? Sunpelt and Fallensnow should never be crow-food!"

**eleven.**

SkyClan is destroyed and he doesn't know where Swallowflight goes. He dies in the night and is greeted by Rainleap.

"Snailslip's been waiting so long for you."


	3. Duskstar

**one.**

He is born Dusk to a loner named Blair and a WindClan cat named Dovefoot. He is born between Cricket, his always-taller, always-bigger ginger brother; and Snake, his always-smaller, always-bolder sister.

Blair raises them to hate WindClan. Dusk listens.

**two.**

Whenever Dusk and his siblings don't need milk anymore, Blair drops them in front of a bramble tunnel and tells them they're playing hide and seek, and they need to count.

When Dusk opens his eyes, he is surrounded by strange cats.

They're brought inside and put in front of a huge blue-and-white she-cat. She asks their names.

Cricket, who could never tell a lie, answers.

She introduces herself as Dewstar and renames them Cricketkit, Duskkit, and Snakekit.

Three moons pass and they become apprentices, going to their first Gathering.

Duskpaw sees a cat named Dovestar on top of the Great Rock, and he just _knows._

**three.**

Two moons later, Duskpaw and his siblings attend a Gathering. He overhears the leaders talking about Ripplestar being late. Ripplestar and ShadowClan emerge from the bushes and he's attacked by an apprentice.

He fights his hardest, knowing Snakepaw and Cricketpaw would have no trouble.

After the battle is finished and Ripplestar is dead, he finds Cricketpaw teary-eyed. He shakes his head and Duskpaw doesn't realize what he's doing.

He feels his heart stop when he sees a thin, white-and-brown body covered in blood, tortoiseshell fur stuck in her claws, and amber eyes clouded over.

**four.**

Duskpaw and Cricketpaw become Duskpelt and Cricketstorm. After their vigil, Cricketstorm asks him what he thought Snakepaw would be named.

Duskpelt didn't answer.

**five.**

The brothers get their first apprentices. Robinstar's kittens. Duskpelt's is named Poppypaw.

She reminds him of Snakepaw.

When she gets named Poppycloud Duskpelt thinks that yes, that is Snakepaw's warrior name. Snakecloud.

**six.**

Robinstar made Rowanpelt her successor in her dying breath. Cricketstorm becomes deputy. Duskpelt knows he deserves it, but he can't help the seed of resentment in his heart.

Cricketstorm gets a painful lump in his stomach one night and Duskpelt is dead-set on being deputy. Nightmask is chosen. He vents to Cricketstorm that he can't believe a kittypet became deputy. Cricketstorm tells him to remember his roots and coughs out his life.

Duskpelt never forgives himself for that being their last conversation.

**seven.**

Duskpelt becomes deputy after Nightmask gets a painful lump in his stomach and retires.

"To make up for Cricketstorm," Rowanstar tells him.

Duskpelt realizes SkyClan sees him as nothing more than the shadow of his brother.

Duskpelt becomes the mentor of Rainpaw, Morningmist's adoptive daughter. She _is _Snakepaw. And she _will _be Duskpelt's deputy.

**eight.**

Rowanstar dies and Duskpelt makes Poppycloud deputy. She will do until Rainpaw becomes a warrior.

Duskstar names her Raincloud. Poppycloud brings up the passing thought of retiring and Duskpelt makes Raincloud deputy on the spot. She didn't need an apprentice. She _would _be Rainstar, for Snakepaw.

**nine.**

Duskstar swears he will not be the shadow of his brother. He hears Vinestar say that ThunderClan has many kits and warriors, and he cannot resist the life of kindness that Cricketstorm gave him.

"I wish to give part of SkyClan's territory to ThunderClan, to feed their new kits."

He sees Raincloud's eyes go wide and she jumps up onto the Great Rock.

"Duskstar, are you sure?"

Duskstar remembered he was not Cricketstorm and snapped at her. He offered a new law to the Warrior Code and the other leaders accepted.

Duskstar died when he got home and he gave Raincloud the life of obedience. Snakepaw shoved him aside and snapped at him.

"Forgive my insolent brother," she said to Raincloud.

Duskstar realized he was wrong.

**ten.**

Duskstar watched Rainstar renounce his name and call the strip of land Duskstar's Clearing. He watched SkyClan struggle in leaf-bare. He watched Rainstar get her throat torn out. He watched Fennelstar steal prey from ThunderClan.

He saw Cloudstar in StarClan. Cloudstar asked if he felt bad about his decision. Duskstar didn't answer.

He watched the other leaders exile SkyClan. Once the living cats and the spirit cats settled down over a gorge, Cricketstorm and Snakepaw took each of his ears and scarred through the star-shaped-marking on his hips.

They still called his Duskstar. But to them he was Duskpelt. And he deserved to be trapped in the blood-red forest Maggottail was in.

Duskstar didn't argue.


	4. Hawksnow

**one.**

Hawk is born to a kittypet. She named her after the most beautiful wild-cat she'd ever seen, Hawkbreeze.

Hawk asked if Hawkbreeze was her father. Her mother said he wasn't made for that.

**two.**

At two moons old, Hawk realizes what his mother was talking about.

At three moons old, Hawk is tossed to the street by his mother's owner. He meets a cat no older than himself named Starling.

"My father was a ThunderClan cat named Vinestar!" he boasts.

"I was named after a SkyClan cat named Hawkbreeze."

Starling blows a raspberry and says, "Being named after someone isn't the same as blood."

**three.**

Starling and Hawk band together to find a clan. They step into the forest and they're pinned down by a black-and-white tom and a skinny black she-cat. They're taken to camp and are greeted by a tom with purple eyes.

"My father was Vinestar!" Swallow says as a ticket to enter.

"We don't breathe that name here."

**four.**

At four moons old, they are renamed Starlingkit and Hawkkit, and they share the nursery alongside older Flykit and Petalkit, and younger Nightkit and Quailkit.

At five moons old, they are renamed Starlingkit and Hawkkit, alongside Flypaw and Petalpaw.

"SkyClan needs warriors," Fennelstar said, "Don't teach them fighting yet. We need all the hunters we can get."

Starlingpaw brings home his namesake. Hawkpaw brings home a scrape on the chin.

Hawkpaw wonders how Starlingpaw can be so good at hunting, so tall, so handsome, so shiny-furred.

Starlingpaw is everything Hawkpaw has ever wanted to be and he knows that he will become Starlingstar.

**five.**

Hawkpaw always wanted to be a medicine cat.

He never let himself because SkyClan was starving.

He became a warrior and he watched Twigtail's old frame unable to jump up onto the low-hanging leader's branch and announce that he will not live forever and it is time he take on an apprentice.

Hawksnow knows he could've helped the tom moons ago and he never stops feeling guilty over it.

**six.**

Hawksnow and Starlingfeather always curled into eachother at night. Hawksnow used to lie next to him as an apprentice until Starlingfeather admited defeat and stuck his head on top of Hawksnow's paws and under his chin. Hawksnow purred and groomed his neck before falling asleep.

The whole clan was sure they were already mates and Hawksnow knew in his heart that, during that day in leaf-bare where he'd caught a starling on his first day as an apprentice, he was in love.

Hawksnow won two battles in a row and was never happier to be the victor.

**seven.**

The battle he had no control over was which one of them was nursing kits. Birth was painful but there was no greater warmth in his heart than watching his three daughters squirm and suckle at his belly.

Starlingfeather named Fawnkit and Fernkit.

Hawksnow named Birdkit, because at least one had to keep the theme.

He licked his kittens heads and looked out into the clearing.

Had Flyheart gotten chubbier?

**eight.**

Flyheart came home with a kit in his jaws and Hawksnow helped name him Cloudkit. One moon later, Starlingfeather brought a dark ginger kit into the nursery. He was about to place it at Hawksnow's belly, but Flyheart stopped him.

He motioned to a napping Cloudkit at his belly.

"You've already got enough."

But Flyheart named him Buzzardkit in honor of them anyway.

**nine.**

Hawksnow always knew that Fawnkit would be a medicine cat. He always knew Fernkit would become mates with Buzzardkit. He always knew Birdkit and Cloudkit would become mates.

Fernkit and Birdkit were opposites in the same way Buzzardkit and Cloudkit were.

Buzzardkit and Birdkit were honey-sweet and kind to a fault. Fernkit and Cloudkit liked thinking they were wise beyond their years and always fought about who would be leader in their games.

His mother told him opposites attract and when he looks between his daughters and Starlingfeather, he knows she's right.

He's the happiest tom in the world when he becomes an uncle, first to Fernpelt, then to Birdflight.

**ten.**

Hawksnow watches Petalfall have the worst seizure of her life.

"I don't think I can be a warrior anymore," she says hoarsely.

Hawksnow speaks to Starlingfeather before telling Flystar that the three of them would like to retire.

**eleven.**

He misses Birdflight everyday of his life. Maybe even more than Cloudstar does.

He will never see his mate again and he will never see his kits become warriors. But Hawksnow lost his daughter.

**twelve.**

Hawksnow watches Mistlekit fall in the river. His parenting insticts kicked in and he tried to rescue the kit when Hazelwing was screaming and keeping her other kits from jumping in.

He doesn't succeed and regrets it for the rest of his life.

He hears the news that Beechpaw had their life and organs ripped out of them by a fox. He hears Acornpaw's cry of anguish and he remembers how the two kits just barely old enough to walk followed him and Starlingfeather home.

How they curled up in Fernpelt's belly, thankful for the warmth.

How Acornpaw wondered how Beechpaw brought back a robin on their first day as an apprentice and quietly mused at how handsome they are.

He sees himself in Acornpaw and he can never forgive himself for not being there to protect Beechpaw.

He lays down next to the sobbing tom and shuts his eyes. He opens them again and he sees Beechpaw.

He realizes he's left his clan and kits behind and he can never forgive himself for it.

Petalfall soon joins, but he feels like he waits eons for Starlingfeather.

He meets Birdflight before he meets Starlingfeather.

He meets Fernpelt before he meets Starlingfeather.

Until Starlingfeather sees the body of his dead daughter, and he joins them during the vigil.

He can never forgive himself for not staying.

Hawksnow licks his cheek and tells him eternity is too long to hold regrets.


	5. Creekfeather

**one.**

Creekkit is born beside Nettlekit, Rabbitkit and Plumkit to Fallowfern and Waspwhisker.

Creekkit thinks she has nothing to her siblings.

Nettlekit and Rabbitkit share their pelts with their mother. Plumkit shares half her pelt. Her brothers take Waspwhisker's body type.

Creekkit is fluffy and stout like her mother. Plumkit is too, and she tries to comfort her sister. She doesn't accept.

**two.**

Creekkit knows something is different with him when he sees Leafstar and Echosong with their tails intertwined on the leader's ledge.

She asks her mother if two she-cats can be mommies and daddies. She says yes.

She asks her mother if two toms can be mommies and daddies. She says yes.

Creekkit says she wants to do that.

Fallowfern tells him that she will love her no matter what, but that she is still young.

**three.**

Creekkit goes to Leafstar before she becomes an apprentice and asks if she can make him a tom.

Leafstar invents a whole new ceremony and for once, Creekpaw loves himself.

**four.**

Creekpaw was apprenticed to Harveymoon, and great StarClan, there wasn't a word to describe how absolutely infatuated with Harveymoon he was.

Harveymoon tapped his tail to Creekpaw's shoulder one night and told him he was so proud of him. For Creekpaw, that was enough to confirm Harveymoon felt the same.

Creekpaw pounced on him and confessed his love.

"Oh," Harveymoon mewed, shoving him off and sitting up, "I'm already mated, I'm sorry."

Creekpaw felt his heart drop. "Oh… with… who?"

"Macgyver."

Honestly, he should've known.

**five.**

Creekpaw becomes Creekfeather and he doesn't think he'll ever love again. He watches as Nettlesplash's gaze lingers on Tinycloud and watches as Plumwillow laughs with Mintfur.

Rabbitleap looked about the same.

He dropped a blackbird at his paws everyday and the brothers ate a meal and fell asleep next to eachother in silence.

**six.**

SkyClan defeats the Clowder, and then the Kin. Roach, Raven, Rain and Dragonfly come by to ask to join SkyClan and visit Flame. Dragonfly says he just wants to say hi to Flame.

He catches Creekfeather and Rabbitleap's eyes.

Creekfeather decides that he will be bolder than his brother for once. He can feel Rabbitleap's heartbreak as he dips his head to Dragonfly and says hello.

He feels his heart drop when the tabby's opening line is, "Hi, I'm Dragonfly, lots of cats confuse me for a tom, but I promise I'm a molly."

He kindly introduces her to Rabbitleap. Rabbitleap kindly tells her that she's welcome to hunt on SkyClan territory.

Creekfeather smiles to himself as Roach cuffs him over the ear and tells him to be nice to her. Creekfeather laughs to himself as Rain shoves his mate and says that Dragonfly was the one who needed the warning.

**seven.**

Creekfeather overhears Waspwhisker and Sharpclaw talking one day.

"All your kits got your good taste in mollies," Sharpclaw says with a laugh.

Creekfeather wasn't going to correct him. He feels Sharpclaw's gaze wave over him and hears him speak again a moment later.

"And one got Fallowfern's taste in toms."

Creekfeather never felt happier than when the deputy validated him.


	6. Birchstar

**one.**

Birchkit was born to Dew Petal, and she had two names: Birchkit and Birch Pelt.

Birchkit is the first of a new naming system. She knew what was happening, but did not quite understand what it meant.

One moon later, Flower Foot brought her sister a kitten a kittypet had given her.

Dew Petal names him Splashing Rain, or Rainkit.

**two.**

Birchpaw was apprenticed to Sparrowstar herself. Sparrowstar became Birchpaw's best friend.

Well, Sparrowstar was one of her best friends.

One moon after her, Rainkit became Rainpaw. Birchpaw and Rainpaw were inseparable.

SkyClan knew the two of them would be the greatest duo SkyClan ever knew.

**three.**

Birchpaw's life stops the same day Dew Petal's does. She was out on a walk with Flower Foot- she didn't become a warrior even after her kits left the nursery. She was attacked by a fox, and Flower Foot couldn't protect herself, Dew Petal and fight the fox at the same time.

Birchpaw could never forgive the deputy for letting her mother die.

She didn't leave her den for weeks.

Rainpaw brought her a bite and the news everyday, then every night kept her company and warmth.

Birchpaw was sure he was the only reason her sadness didn't take her.

**four.**

Birchpaw and Rainpaw became warriors. Birchpaw already knew what their names would be. Birchpelt and Rainsplash.

They make a nest together in the warriors den because Birchpelt was not blessed with her mother's plume and they were both cold-natured.

She hears Quick Water coo at them and call them a fox and a pigeon. She says that they'll hear the pitter-patter of little paws any day now.

Birchpelt was a bit taken aback. She'd always thought of Rainsplash as a brother.

**five.**

Birchpelt was more sad the day Sparrowstar died than the day Flower Foot did. Flower Foot died and she became deputy. Sparrowstar died and she became leader.

Flower Foot gave her the life of strength, not forgiveness.

Sparrowstar gave her the life of mentoring, not forgiveness.

Skystar gave her the life of loyalty, not forgiveness.

Dew Petal gave her the life of love, not forgiveness.

She had no life of forgiveness, and so she never learned it.

She knew it was a thing she should've learned, but she never could figure it out.

Birchstar watches over Rainsplash, her deputy, sorting patrols and wonders if to give a life, you must learn the virtue.

**six.**

Birchstar attends a meeting called by Emberstar.

She suggests that every clan meet at Fourtrees every full moon.

She watches as SkyClan loses half it's territory. She watches as SkyClan is driven from the forest.

She regrets and she realizes she can never forgive- the cats who let it happen, or herself.

**seven.**

Birchstar of WindClan dies and Birchstar makes sure he knows adding that law to the code was the stupidest decision of his life.

Birchstar of RiverClan dies and Birchstar makes sure she knows that letting SkyClan be exiled is the worst decision she's ever made.

She realizes that some cats just don't deserve forgiveness.


	7. Acornpaw

**one.**

He is born to a rogue and is not given a name. He nearly drowns in marsh a few seconds after he got out of drowning in his mother.

**two.**

When he is hardly two weeks old, his mother brings him to a tom who already has one kit beside him.

She dips her head, "You promised to watch my kit. Thank you very much."

She then heads off. The tom narrows his eyes at him and shoves the brown-and-white kit next to him. He raises a paw and extends his claws, ready to strike. He shuts his eyes tight.

He is tackled by a gray-and-white cat and a reddish-brown tom chases him away. The smaller cat picks up one, the bigger picks up the other.

When he opens his eyes again, he's in soft dark brown fur. The cat who owns it smiles and licks him and the kit beside him.

"Go to sleep, little one, you're safe now."

So he does.

**three.**

When his eyes are open again, he's surrounded by three kittens.

"What's your name?" squeaks the gray one.

They shrug.

The tabby names them Acornkit and Beechkit.

**four.**

Acornkit doesn't see the tabby or the other kittens as his family, and none of them make any move to change his mind. They don't see him as their family, either.

**five.**

Fernpelt's kits become apprentices, and after one moon, Beechpaw leaves. Acornpaw is heartbroken.

One moon later, they return. Acornpaw's heart soars.

"Chasing leaves?" jokes Quailheart, their mentor.

Acornpaw has a hardly-containable urge to claw his ears off.

**six.**

On a patrol, Acornpaw catches the only piece of prey.

That's only because it was half-drowned in a puddle.

**seven.**

Acornpaw is on the journey with SkyClan or of the forest. Beechpaw chases a leaf away from the group. Stoatfur follows, just in case. He doesn't come back with Beechpaw.

"Beechpaw's been killed," he meows somberly, "Taken by a fox. I couldn't get their body."

Acornpaw screams out toward the sky.

Hawksnow curls around him.

Hawksnow dies in the morning.

Acornpaw sees the look in Starlingfeather's eyes as he cries over his mate and Acornpaw realizes he was in love in Beechpaw.

**eight.**

The apprentices become warriors and Acornpaw becomes Acornbreeze. He starts calling Beechpaw Beechflight.

One day, Tansyskip asked if he will help her have kits. He agrees.

Tansyskip has Honeykit and Rowankit. Rowankit looks just like Acornbreeze. He can't bear to be their father.

They aren't his and Beechflight's.

**nine.**

Acornbreeze has his organs and ribs ripped out by more rats than have ever been a threat to SkyClan. He knows it's the deadliest battle yet.

He closes his eyes and when he opens them again, he sees white legs. He looks up and he sees a tan-and-white face.

"Beechflight…" he whispers.

"It's Beechleap."

Acornbreeze was never happier.


	8. Fallensnow

**one.**

They are born in the gorge and never know of the forest.

They're born alongside one kit in one litter, three kits in the whole of the nursery.

Their father points to their sibling first.

"This one is Swallowkit," he says, "Because the rats will swallow us whole."

He points to them.

"This one if Fallenkit," he says, "Because SkyClan has fallen so far from grace and saving."

When it's realized Fallenkit only has three legs, Snailslip thinks this is truly the end.

**two.**

When Fallenkit is two moons old, a cream tom no older than themself is placed at his aunt's belly.

That wasn't a cousin.

**three.**

Fallenkit becomes Fallenpaw along with their nurserymates… and Sunkit.

The warriors say things are looking up for SkyClan, but Fallenpaw never thought anything was wrong.

Oakstep has the nerves on one of his legs chewed to bits and can't be a warrior.

Mousefang breaks her spine and can't be deputy.

Nightfur is blinded and can't be a warrior.

...something was wrong.

**four.**

Snailslip is dead.

Fallenpaw has never felt like their heart lived up to their name more.

**five.**

Fallenpaw and Swallowpaw are named after the great-grandfathers they never got to meet. Fallensnow and Swallowflight.

Honeypaw, Rowanpaw and Sunpaw do not get as special names. They get Honeyleaf, Rowanfur and Sunpelt.

All throughout the vigil, Sunpet keeps casting his beams in Fallensnow's direction.

They aren't threatening but Fallensnow isn't intrigued.

**six.**

Two moons and the losses of their aunts later, Sunpelt asks Fallensnow to be their mate.

Fallensnow is desperate for anyone else who cares for them, Swallowflight had long sense become a cocky tom pursuing deputyship and they were too scared of Nightfur to visit their father often, accepts.

They spend two moons together as mates.

They're the best two moons of Fallensnow's life.

Sunpelt was a nicer tom that they thought.

Swallowflight looks at them with scorn. Fallensnow doesn't know if it's anger that his sibling was happy, or jealous of who they were with.

Fallensnow didn't care. They loved Sunpelt.

**seven.**

Fallensnow and Sunpelt are sent against the rats.

One starts climbing up their good leg and suddenly, Fallensnow can see their father's life flash before their eyes.

They smack the rat against the door and Spiderstar calls for a retreat.

They try to run.

They don't get far.

**eight.**

Fallensnow's spirit lays on a pile of sticks that Oakstep placed to grieve on.

Their paws are tugging them to go upward but they have to let their father have their vigil.

A cream pelt drifted down and licked Fallensnow's ear.

"We need to get to StarClan."

"I have to let my father grieve…"

"Fallensnow…" Sunpelt mewed, in that sickly sweet voice he always used when he was upset, "Please. I don't want you to get trapped down here. There's a casm up there, right over the gorge. You can watch over him."

Fallensnow begrudgingly stands on their three good legs.

"Promise?"

Sunpelt purrs. "Of course."


End file.
